Cheapest time to buy airline tickets is on a Tuesday at 3pm, 6 weeks prior, right? Wrong. Crazy, I know I’m saying everything you find on the internet isn’t true. I suppose this could be true for some people but when I book my trips personally there’s no way I’m going to pick one day to look at airfare and buy it that day, and also I’ve look at airfare “the Tuesday 6 weeks prior at 6pm” and honestly, it’s becoming one of the pricier days (probably because everyone thinks this is some super secret trick now). So that brings me to TIP #1 : SHOP! Look at airfare at different times, different days, on different devices (if you have multiple), and use different sites / search engines, clear your browser history, if you know how to set a different VPN (virtual private network) - do it! If I would have purchased my airfare the first day I looked there would have been no way I could have afforded my travels. I spent weeks, yes w e e k s (sometimes even months), browsing airfare options before I purchased. Having flexible dates also helps a ton - look at a fare calendar for your airline and see the cheaper days to fly.
TIP #2 : Take advantage of checked luggage. Most international flights will allow 2 FREE checked luggage pieces. Why lug all your stuff around the departure terminal while you wait? Travel light and check it! But also be careful with this and make sure you don’t have any internal flights that have restricted luggage as most internal flights will not be as generous with luggage allowance. Also be sure to buy a complete international ticket - if your home city airport is smaller and you’ll need to connect to a larger airport for your flights don’t purchase the flights to and from your home airport separately if you plan to check luggage. Often it can be cheaper to purchase these sectors separately but that small connection likely won’t allow any free checked baggage so you’ll end up either having to collect your bags and re-enter airport security or pay extra to have them checked to your home city.
TIP #3 : Pre-plan how you’re getting to your hotel from the airport. No having to deal with hundreds of pushy taxi drivers, trying to figure out who will understand you, not rip you off, and will bring you to the right place? You’ll thank yourself later. Just exit the arrivals terminal and find a calm driver holding a sign board with your name and head on out.
TIP #4 : Bring your own toiletries? Pocket the freebies from the hotel. Throw them in your bag and use them for your next trip! I have a whole drawer full of sample sized toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shampoo and conditioners, I can't remember the last time I purchased any for a trip. They're already travel sized and sometimes you can find really awesome brands laid out on your bathroom counter.
TIP #5 : Do your research. Sure, going backpacking in a new country is an awesome and exciting experience and you can wing the whole trip but atleast do yourself a favor of looking at a few things first including: Entry and Exit Requirements - Any visa or vaccinations required? If a visa is required how do you obtain it? Do you need to carry documents of proof of your vaccination? What are the passport requirements? Most countries require your passport to be valid 6 months past your date of entry and others even require 2, sometimes 4 blank pages in your passport. Also be sure to look up strict do’s and don'ts for the destination. For example: it’s illegal to take certain Buddha images / statues out of Thailand and buying anything with the Buddha on it whether it’s merchandise, decor, or a tattoo, any of these with Buddha symbol on it is seen as extremely disrespectful.
So now, what items will you find yourself later saying “Thank Goodness I packed this!”? It’s always the items that might not cross your mind (although underwear and socks somehow are always the last thing I remember?) here are my Top 6 MUST Pack items:
1.) Tissues. And no, not for when you have a sudden sneeze come out of no where, or are sobbing from leaving your family/boyfriend/girlfriend. For toilet paper. The dollar store usually will sell 8 packs of the mini travel tissues and you’ll thank yourself later when you’ve just paid to use the toilet (for those who haven’t experience this yet, just wait. So many places have a toilet fee) but there’s still no toilet paper, or they're charging for toilet paper also - which btw, is often only 2 sheets. Guys, this goes for you too - that local cuisine won’t always agree with your stomach, be prepared or be sorry, smelly and embarrassed.
2.) Anti Bacterial Wet Wipes. Again, the dollar store will usually carry a 2 or 4 pack travel size. I use them to wipe down my seat and tray table on the plane, my face when I’m sweaty/feel gross, a not-so-sanitary-looking toilet, my phone (germ city), hands, tables...need I continue? Bottom line: they’re versatile and you’ll be glad you brought them.
3.) Packing Cubes. I laughed at the idea of these until I used them. Who knew organizing your bag into smaller bags would be so useful? You can buy an assortment of sizes on amazon for pretty cheap and they often come with one with “laundry” written on it so you can keep your dirty clothes separate. Its also super helpful if you only need to dig out 1 item, this way you'll know right where it is and wont have to destroy your whole bag while searching for it. Oh and if you haven heard yet- roll your clothes - saves space and less wrinkles.
4.) SNACKS! For whatever reason I was always under the impression until 2 years ago that bringing your own food in your carry on was a no no and wouldn’t make it past TSA. As long as it’s individually wrapped you’re good to go! Forget expensive terminal food, and if you bring your own empty water bottle almost every airport has a water bottle filling fountain now (but be careful of this with foreign airports as fountain water is not always safe to drink).
5.) Battery packs. Imagine being lost in a foreign country, hardly anyone speaks English, you’ve found WiFi but your phones dead? Not the best situation to be in. As a mini tip- I also pin my hotel location on my map app soon as I get checked into my hotel so if I get a bit lost I know exactly where I need to head. Maps now works offline (but you need to pre-load the area map for it to work). Along with battery packs don’t forget the charger for them so you can charge up for the next day.
6.) Not an absolute necessity must pack item, but extremely useful if you have a lot of gadgets or are sharing a room with someone. Some hotel rooms won’t have an abundant amount of power plugs so bring a power strip (surprisingly I got one at 5 below 3 years ago and it still works like a charm). This is especially useful if you only have 1 power adapter (also don’t forget this - and check your countries plug so you have the right one!).
These are just a few of many tips and tricks out there if you're a first time traveler.